Overview
The clapper rail is a chicken-sized bird that rarely flies. It is grayish brown with a pale chestnut breast and a noticeable white patch under the tail. Its bill curves slightly downwards.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Bird
- Family
- Rallidae
- Genus
- Rallus
- Species
- crepitans
Habitat
Brackish marshes and coastal wetlands.
Diet
Crustaceans, aquatic insects, and small fish.
Behavior
They search for food while walking, sometimes probing with their long bills, in shallow water or mud. The twig nest is placed low in mangrove roots, and 3-7 purple-spotted buff eggs are laid.
Hunting
Typically hunted with a 20 gauge shotgun, sometimes flushed by poling a flat bottom boat.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.